Raindrops
by ButterflyMiko
Summary: Leslie is on the run from a gang called Zimbi and Ben is trying to recruit her to help him. She doesn't want to join him, doesn't want to be his friend, but he is persistant.
1. Roof

I had no idea how I had gotten on the roof. Well I had some idea. I did stuff like this sometimes.

This was the third school I had been to in six months. We had finally moved to Bellwood, hoping that my history of bad luck wouldn't follow me.

I looked down. Crap! It was far. How the heck had I gotten up here, anyway?

"Hey, how'd you get up here?" said Ben Tennyson, a boy from the English class I was supposed to be in right now. He came up the steps from the second floor. "The door was locked. Mrs. Gibbs sent me to find you."

"I honestly don't know," I replied, shrugging.

"Well you have to come back to class," he said.

"Am I in trouble?" I said worriedly.

Ben paused, looking up at the sky. It had gotten dark and cloudy all of a sudden.

"I don't think so," he said. "What's with the weather today?"

I had noticed it too. Another thing I had done. Hopefully it wouldn't rain this time.

"I'm…not sure," I got up and backed away a bit. "I need to go back to class."

"Okay," Ben replied. "What was your name?"

"Leslie Maree," I said, heading downstairs.

I sat in English class, thinking about my encounter with Ben. I knew a lot about him, like how he was on the soccer team and got out of school a lot in the past few years, but this year had perfect attendance. All this I knew from rumors.

His cousin Gwen was more popular than he was, and I had math with her. We had never met.

The bell rang. Time for lunch.


	2. Shattered

You can sit with me," said Rei, a girl from my homeroom.

"Cool," I replied, sitting down across from her.

"So why did you sit with Ben Tennyson in English today?" she asked me.

"Mrs. Gibbs sent him to find me, and when we came back there were only two seats."

"You know he and his cousin are probably the most popular seniors."

"Yeah. I also heard that he wasn't in class much the past couple years."

"No one knows much about that."

I narrowed my eyes. That was weird. Oh well.

I got up and went across the cafeteria to the window. Two girls walked up to me.

"Heard you cut class," said one of them.

"First day of school and already in trouble," the second one said.

"We heard you have a record," said the first one.

"Just leave me alone!" I said. Behind me, the window shattered. "Crap."

I ran out of the cafeteria.

"Your record speaks for itself," said the principal. I had no idea what her name was, but I knew I'd figure it out soon enough.

"I'm sorry about the window," I said quietly. "I'll pay for it."

"In detention," she continued. "You need discipline. After school, every day for a month."

"Yes ma'am."

I left the principal's office.


	3. Suspicions

Why do you think she made the glass break?" Gwen asked Ben after school.

"Did you see her face?" he replied. "And earlier, when I met her on the roof, it got cloudy when she thought she was in trouble."

"So you think she might be a Plumber's kid or something?"

"Well it's been so long I thought maybe we found something."

"Ben, we're seniors now. Maybe that life is really over."

"But we should help her, shouldn't we?"

"If she's a Plumber's kid, but you don't know that any of this was her."

"I'm going to find out."

I got out of detention at four-thirty, same time soccer practice got out. To my surprise, Ben came up to me.

"What?" I asked. He was starting to bug me.

"What happened at lunch?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes. "Nothing. That was an accident."

"Are you sure?"

My hands started shaking. I dropped my books. I leaned over to pick them up.

"You've got the wrong girl," I said. "Why do you want to know anyway?"

"Um…no reason, just curious."

I stared at him. What was going on? Whatever. I finished picking up my books and left


	4. Zimbi

Rei called me that night.

"Hey. I can't believe you got detention," she said.

"Yeah, I'm used to it," I replied.

"Well, I heard you talked to Ben again."

"Why does news spread so fast around here?"

"I don't know, but why does he keep talking to you? Does he like you?"

"No way. That's impossible. We just keep running into each other, that's all."

"I heard he walked up to you for no reason."

"Well, I'm sure that it's some kind of joke or something. That's another thing that happens to me a lot."

I looked outside. It was raining. I smacked myself in the head.

"Why? You seem nice to me."

"Yeah, well, I'm kind of an odd duckling."

Call-waiting beeped in.

"Hey I gotta go," I said to Rei. "Call-waiting."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

I pressed the button.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hello Ms. Maree," said the cheery voice on the other end of the line. "Just calling to verify your appointment."

"What appointment?"

"With Zimbi Industries. Your appointment is in two days. Seven on the dot."

The line went dead. I shivered. Outside, there was thunder.

I considered my options. If they found me, I would most definitely be in trouble. Experiments, questions, and that was just the half of it.

If I ran, then how would I explain to those who were already suspicious of me? My brother wasn't in high school this time. He couldn't cover for me.

I sighed. The rain died down outside. Maybe something would happen tomorrow. Maybe I still had a chance. Maybe.


	5. Fire

How did it happen?" asked Theo, who lives three floors up.

"No one knows," said Mary Alice, my neighbor. "They're saying it's arson."

"It's still burning!" I cried helplessly.

"What's wrong? We're all safe," Mary Alice said.

"My brother, he's locked in his room!" I replied.

They all looked around for him, then looked up at the second story window where he was sticking his head out.

"Cohaku! Don't go anywhere, I'm coming up!"

"That would be extremely foolish," said Mr. Mason, my other neighbor.

"Whatever," I replied, going in.

I hate fire. Let me make this perfectly clear: I would have never gone if it had been anyone but my brother up there.

I went up the stairs, relatively unsinged, because the fire hadn't reached that far yet.

When I got to my brother's room, however, flames blocked the door. I stepped back. I needed…rain!

I made myself as sad as possible, thinking of first days of school and moving and my dead goldfish. It started raining-inside.

Once the fires were out I went through the door and grabbed my brother. We left together.

When we reached the crowd at the front of the building, they started asking questions.

"What happened in there?" Mr. Mason asked me.

"I-I don't know," I replied. "I guess the fires went out."

"How?" asked Ben, who had randomly appeared.

"Um…I don't know," I muttered.

The crowds fell back, focused on the fire fighters that had arrived.

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"Why do you want to know?" I said defiantly. Behind me, a wind started up. I was getting angry.

"Because…I thought you might be one of us."

"And so if I don't have special abilities then we can't be friends. Oh, well this sure is new! Usually I'm shunned for doing weird stuff; now I'm about to be shunned for not being able to do it!"

I turned and left.


	6. Secrets

"I don't get it!" Ben said irritably. "Why is she being so-"

"Stubborn?" said Gwen calmly. "I don't know, Ben. But you'd better stop her before she actually does some damage. Maybe you should try actually being her friend."

"That's what I was trying to do!"

"Maybe you were going about it the wrong way. Maybe this girl is different."

"He was probably just trying to be nice," my brother said.

"I don't care," I replied.

"Yes you do. You've always wanted to meet someone like you, and it made you angry because he obviously has some kind of ability, yet he can keep his life in order, unlike you."

"Well I can't help it! When we administered the serum last year we made a pact that we would keep it a secret!"

"But you knew that I would make an exception for you this time. I think we can trust this kid."

"I don't."

"Suit yourself. But I hope you'll be ready when they come take you away in a couple of days."

"We can be gone by then."

"Not this time. You have a chance to fight it out. And you know that Ben would probably help you if you told him the truth."

I sighed. "So. I'll tell him. But only because it's life or death. Otherwise, I would never tell anyone."


	7. Confessions I

I stopped Ben on the way to lunch the next day.

At the same time, we both said: "I'm sorry."

I blinked. "Wait, why are you sorry?"

"I guess I sort of said that I only wanted to be your friend because you had powers," he replied.

"Well, I'm the one who should be sorry. I was just jealous."

"Of what?"

"You have a normal life. I've moved three times in the past six months because I can't control my powers."

We were walking down the abandoned hallway now, and Ben looked surprised (I guess he expected me to yell at him or something; I do that a lot).

"Well, my life hasn't always been normal," he said in a kind of sad voice, like he missed not having a normal life.

"What do you mean?"

He showed me his watch, like that was supposed to answer my question. I just looked at it, and then realization hit.

"I just figured it out!" I exclaimed. "But wait, no way. That's so completely random."

"What?"

"You. You're Ben 10."


	8. Confessions II

You've actually heard of me?" he was confused now.

"I used to have to know about people like you. It was part of my job description at one point."

"And what job was that?"

"Keeping people out of the research of Zimbi Industries."

"You worked for a corporation?" he almost laughed.

"Yeah. Indirectly, that's how I got my powers."

"So, what happened?"

"I was really sick, and I thought I might die, so I got scared and stole this serum that was supposed to cure me. It worked, but it had some lame side effects. Good thing I only took one dose."

"Are you serious?"

"Yep. I don't know the hows or whys. But I do know that they're coming back."

"When?"

"Tomorrow. It's the only reason why I told you. I thought you could help me."

"So, you didn't apologize or tell me your secret because you actually wanted to be my friend. You told me because there's something in it for you." He narrowed his eyes.

My eyes widened. Was that really why? Probably. No, wait, not this time. I told him because for some reason, I trusted him.

"Ben, I-"

"I'll help you. But don't ask for anything else."


	9. Kidnapped

I got home late that night. I stayed out at the nearest Starbucks trying to see how late I could stay up. I barely made it home, I was so tired.

On my way in, my cell phone rang. I answered it, half-asleep.

"H-Hello?" I yawned.

"Hello, Ms. Maree?" said the same cheery voice as before.

I was awake now. "What do you want?"

"I called to say your appointment has been moved up. You'll be meeting with the CEO of Zimbi Industries in 15-20 minutes, however long it takes you to get here."

I dropped the phone. In the dark, I suddenly noticed a gun was pressed to my head.

Ben regretted having left his cell phone on the night before, because it rang at an alarming six AM.

He answered it, in a irritated voice.

"Hello?"

"Ben," said Gwen on the other line. She sounded worried. "That friend of yours-the one you were telling me about-she was kidnapped last night!"

"What? This is all my fault; I should've known they would come after her sooner then they said they would."

"Stop blaming yourself and meet me at my house in 15 minutes. We have to find her."

It was like something out of a horror movie. They had all my nerves attached to machines, and they were asking me all kinds of weird questions.

Finally, the person in charge showed up.

"Hello, Leslie," she said softly.

I blinked. It was Jade.


	10. Rescue

Ben-as Swampfire-and Gwen busted into the room. I wondered where the third kid-Kevin-was.

"How did you get in here?" Jade wondered aloud.

I ignored her and tried to pull some of the chords off. The machine I was attached to went crazy. It started shocking me randomly.

"Ow!" I banged on it. "Quit it!"

Ben threw a fireball at it, and it exploded. "Can't you do anything?"

Crap. He was still mad at me. Who wasn't, these days.

I pulled the chords off, and got up, immediately shielding my ex-best friend.

"Don't hit her! She hasn't done anything!" I exclaimed.

"So why are we rescuing you?" Ben asked. "And why are you bleeding?"

"Look, I want to beat the crap out of her too, but what will it solve? Let's just leave. I'm okay, and that was the point, wasn't it?"

Ben timed out. "Fine."

Gwen just watched Jade closely. I wondered if they had met.

As we were leaving, Jade slipped a note into my pocket.


	11. Conversations

"So what did she put in your pocket?" asked Gwen, driving the car on the way back to my house.

I stared at her for a second. "A note. She wants me to come back next week."

"You're not going, are you?" Ben asked me.

"I have to," I replied softly. "I have to get her to quit."

"That's crazy! It's obviously a trap!"

"And if I know that, I'll have a plan. Maybe by then I'll be able to control my powers better."

"And do what? Break her windows?"

I glared at him. "I can do more than that, I know I can."

"You don't have the time to learn."

"Maybe I would if you would help me instead of arguing with me!"

"Will you guys stop yelling?" Gwen said. "I'm trying to drive."

"Sorry Gwen," Ben replied, then turned to me. "I'll help you again I guess. But only because this is all to get your friend to quit. Not like last time when it was all about you."

"I told you that wasn't what I meant. I really was trying to be friends, not just trying to make you help me."

"Sure didn't sound like it."

"We're here," Gwen interrupted.

I got out of the car. "By the way, thanks for getting me out of there."

"Take care of that cut on your face," Gwen replied.

"Okay," I smiled and waved, then went into my house.


	12. Powers

"Okay, see what you can do to that Coke can," Ben pointed at the can across the room.

I stared at the can and it crumpled up.

"I told you I've been practicing," I grinned.

"Okay, so you can shatter glass, crumple cans, and generally explode stuff," he replied. "What else can you do?"

"I can make it rain," I replied. "But only when I'm sad."

"Stop basing your powers on emotions. You'll never get anywhere that way."

"Okay, I'll try."

I concentrated, and outside it clouded over, but it didn't rain.

"I can't do this," I said.

It started to rain.

"You're being too hard on her," Gwen said, coming into the gym.

"Why are you so late?" asked Ben.

"I was at karate practice."

I sat down. "This is useless. I can't do anything as well as you guys."

"Sure you can," Gwen replied. "If you can control the clouds, have you ever tried using the wind?"

I thought. "Sometimes, when I'm angry, the wind picks up."

"So try doing it when you're not mad."

I closed my eyes, and the wind started to blow a little bit, and knocked over the tin can.

"See," Gwen said. "You can do stuff


	13. Where's Kevin

Attention students," said the voice over the intercom. "Don't forget to get dates for the school dance on Friday!"

"Are you going?" Gwen asked me.

"I haven't gone to a school dance since…" I trailed off.

"What happened?" Ben asked.

"I don't want to talk about it."

There was a silence.

"I guess I'll go," I sighed.

"Who are you going with?" Gwen asked.

"No one," I replied. "Why don't we all go together? We're friends, right?"

"I guess we could," Ben said.

Gwen didn't say anything.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"She misses Kevin," replied Ben.

"I was wondering what happened to him."

"How did you know about-"

"I told you, when I worked for Zimbi, you each had your own file. So what happened to him?"

"He disappeared when the action died down," Gwen spoke up.

"Somehow I doubt that's what really happened. Did you look for him?"

"We didn't bother," Ben replied. "He obviously didn't want to be found."

"I think you may have been deceived. When people who don't want to go somewhere end up going, there's usually someone else involved."

"How do you know he didn't want to go?" Gwen said irritably.

"I've read his file. He cared about you. He wouldn't just leave."

Gwen got up and left the table.

"See what you did?" Ben said angrily, getting up and going after her.


	14. Boyfriend

"I wonder where Leslie is," said Gwen.

"Maybe she's always late to things," Ben replied, not really interested.

"Oh, there she is!" Gwen pointed. "She looks great!"

Ben turned and looked. His eyes widened. Elaine was wearing a dress, and her long brown hair was pulled up somehow, and was she wearing…makeup?

I walked into the decorated school gym. I couldn't believe I had dressed up so much. I walked over to where Ben and Gwen were standing.

Ben seemed to shake himself out of a trance. I gave him a look.

"I know it's a little much," I said. "But you don't have to be so-"

"Do you want to dance?" he asked me.

I blushed. "I…um…sure I guess."

He took my hand and led me out on the dance floor. Of course, they were playing a slow song.

Ben was a really good dancer, but I was a little clumsy. We danced for a little while, then went back to the sidelines.

"Why did you ask me to dance?" I asked him.

"Because I just realized that I…kind of like you," he replied.

"I like you too," I said. "But…I can't really be with anyone…not after what happened."

"What happened?"

"Chris was my first boyfriend. He was way older then me, though, and he went off to college. We were okay for a while, but then I went to visit him at college, and he had a girlfriend."

"I'm so…sorry. But why should that keep you from ever having another boyfriend?"

"I just don't know…"

"You're just going to keep on being sad?"

"Okay, okay," I smiled. "I changed my mind. Ask me again."

"I never asked."

"Very funny."

"Okay. Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"Okay."


	15. Mind Control

I was ready.

Today was the day I was going back to Zimbi to see if Jade would quit.

"I still don't like it," said Ben. "Why won't you let us come in with you?"

"Because I'm trying to get her to trust me," I replied. "And bringing in you guys for back up doesn't exactly say, 'let's be best friends again.'"

"We can hang out outside in case there's trouble, though, right?"

"Sure."

I got out of the car and waved as I went into Zimbi Industries.

"You came!" said Jade sarcastically.

"Why did you invite me?" I asked.

"I want to be friends again."

"Really?"

"No," she flipped a switch and a screen lit up. It had my vital signs, my brain wave patterns, my GPS location, and the date of the last time I had used my powers.

I gasped. "How did you get this information?"

"You gave it to us," Jade replied. "That serum has trackers and mind control devices in it."

She pressed some buttons. "The control will be complete by the end of the week. You can go now."

"I'm back!" I said, getting in the car.

"So what happened?" Ben asked.

"I…don't know," I replied vaguely.

"How can you not know? You were just there!"

"We talked, and she surprised me somehow, and…I don't know, I just don't remember."

"How could you forget?"

"I told you, I don't know!"

"Stop arguing!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Sorry," we both said.

"I'm just a little worried that you can't remember what happened," Ben said.

"I'm sorry. It scares me too."


	16. Following Orders

Your orders are as follows,said the voice inside my head. Bring your friends Ben and Gwen Tennyson to Chiass Headquarters.

Inside me I knew I shouldn't hurt my friends, but the serum was controlling me now.

"Why is she late again?" Ben ranted.

"I don't know," replied Gwen.

Leslie came in the door. She was walking funny, like she was sleepwalking.

"Leslie? Are you okay?" Ben walked over to her.

She turned to him. "I have to take you away now." Her voice was high pitched and childlike.

"Take me where?" asked Ben.

"Away," she said in the same voice, then hit him upside the head.

Ben fell to the ground. Gwen ran over to him.

"Why did you do that?" she exclaimed.

Leslie raised her hands and both of them flew backward into a wall.

"I never liked any of you," Leslie said, but it seemed like she was trying not to speak. "I'm a spy for Zimbi."

"Wh-what's going on?" Ben said. Hitting the wall had woken him up. "Why'd she hit me?"

"She said she works for Zimbi," said Gwen angrily, getting up.

Gwen's hands lit up pink. She got in between Leslie and her cousin.

Leslie waved her hand, and Gwen flew into another wall. Gwen was knocked out.

Ben got up and came towards Leslie.

Leslie put her hands down. Her voice went back to normal. "Ben, I really don't want to hurt you…"

"Then why did you hurt Gwen?"

"I can't do anything about it. I have orders."

"So you are a spy?"

"No, I'll explain later. Just get away from here!"

She started to raise her hands again, and Ben backed off, but the wind hit him anyway, and he blacked out.


	17. Prisoners

Once we were all safely locked up in Chiass Headquarters, I was granted control again. I was locked up in a cell with Ben and Gwen. They were all somehow attached by their wrists and ankles to the wall and floor.

I wasn't attached to either the wall or floor, probably because at the press of a button they would have control again.

Ben woke up before Gwen did.

"Where are we?" he asked me.

"We're in the Zimbi Industries."

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm being controlled. Well, not right now, but earlier I was."

"How do I know you're not still lying to me?"

"You just have to trust me."


	18. Getting Untied

Gwen woke last. She shot me a murderous look.

"What's your problem? Why do you have to lock us up?" she asked.

"Gwen, it wasn't me," I said. "They were controlling me earlier."

She just glared at me. "Do you believe this, Ben?"

"Yes, I do."

I gave him a grateful look.

"I think I know why we're here," I said.

"Why?" Ben asked me.

"They want our powers," I replied. "We all have powers."

"And that's why they used me!" I exclaimed. "Not only is Jade trying to get back at me, but they already have my powers in that serum."

"But you stole that," Ben replied.

"Yes, but they probably had enough research to duplicate it."

I stood back a bit and concentrated on the chains that were holding them to the wall. They broke and Ben and Gwen stood.

"You guys should probably get out of here," I said. "I'll probably go bad again soon."


	19. Overdose

"We aren't going to leave you behind," Ben said to me.

"They'll use me again," I replied. "It's a bad idea for me to come with you."

"She's right, Ben," Gwen said.

"You're only saying that because she attacked you!" Ben replied angrily. "And she only did that because they were controlling her! We can't just leave her behind!"

"Ben, please, understand something," I said. "I'm not strong enough to withstand…how I would feel…if I hurt you. So go."

He still wouldn't go.

"I'm not leaving," he said.

"I was banking on that," Jade said, entering the room. She held two syringes in her hand.

"No!" I yelled. "You aren't going to poison them too!"

I jumped in front of them.

Ben and Gwen got ready to fight, and Ben was about to press his Omnitrix.

"No," I said. "You two. Don't use your powers! That's the information she's looking for."

"Perceptive, Leslie," Jade said.

"Give me the syringes, Jade," I said.

"Great idea!" she exclaimed, and stabbed me in the arm with one syringe. "That should do it."

My eyes were still half open as the serum poured into my veins. I watched as Ben changed into Humongousaur and punched Jade into a wall. She was rendered unconscious. Ben timed out, and came over quickly with Gwen on his heels. He ripped out the syringe, but the serum was already in my system.

"O-Overdose…" I muttered. "I've already had one dose…"

"You'll be okay, don't worry," his concerned face was the last thing I saw before I faded into unconsciousness.


	20. Goodbye

My eyes opened. A hospital room. I felt terrible, like the hangover you get when you drink ten Red Bulls in one setting. That horrible, insides churning, kidneys hurting, way of feeling.

I looked around. Flowers in a vase. The machine next to me was beeping. I raised my arm and found I had an IV in.

I sighed.

"She's awake!" Ben exclaimed, appearing in the doorway.

I tried to sit up, but fell back. "I-I feel awful."

"There's some bad news," Ben said seriously. "We…we couldn't get you here fast enough."

"What?" I asked. "What's wrong? What aren't you telling me?"

"I tried everything," Ben said. "I-I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?" I exclaimed. "Ben, tell me!"

"You…aren't going to make it," he said finally, sitting in the chair next to the bed.

"I'm…I'm going to die?" I said.

"You aren't supposed to make it through the night," he admitted gloomily.

"Well then, I guess I have nothing to lose," I said, sighing.

I sat up and leaned over, and kissed him.

"I thought…I might never get to do that," I said softly, lying back down.

"Leslie…" he said.

My eyes closed. He touched my cheek. His hand was cool against my face.

The nurse came in.

"Nurse!" Ben said. "She's burning up! Can't you do something?"

"I'm so sorry," she said. "All we can do is make her comfortable."

Suddenly the machine made a steady beep sound.

"Does that mean…?" Ben began.

"I'm going to need you to leave, sir," she said. "I need some help in here!"

Ben was pushed out by several doctors and nurses that came in with resuscitation equipment. He stood in the doorway.

He watched as they put the paddles on her chest and shocked her heart. Her chest arched, but her heart didn't restart. They had an oxygen mask on her, but she wasn't breathing.

They tried shocking her again, but nothing happened. The doctor shook his head.

"I'm calling it," he said. "Time of death, 4:32 PM."

Ben looked down at the ground, a tear falling.

So this…this was goodbye.


End file.
